The dogs (and sometimes other animals) you see working in places such as hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and libraries demonstrate calm, gentle behavior toward people and basic good manners in their homes and communities. In order to work as a therapy dog, they are given a thorough health examination every year. Additionally, they must prove their behavior skills and earn their official therapy dog certification by completing the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) Program and passing a therapy dog evaluation with their handler. Therapy dog evaluations are offered through organizations such as Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI).

The basic CGC program is normally an 8-week class. Since this involves both the handler and the dog, each week includes a brief lesson in responsible dog ownership as well as training for the dog.

TDI and Delta Society have additional requirements, including testing the dog’s reaction to medical equipment, its self-control and ability to ignore food and other items upon command, its confidence around patients with infirmities and special medical equipment, and its behavior around children. Membership in these organizations provides volunteer insurance coverage in the event of accidental injury or damage while the dog is visiting in a therapy capacity. You can find more information on these special requirements on the TDI Web site and Delta Society’s Web site.